Tips for Preparing for Virtual Meetings: Do and Don’ts

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Author: Dina Barabash, Content Development & Web Specialist
Posted: April 15, 2020

Nowadays, it is more common to meet with your team by virtual meeting than ever before. Companies are using these online tools to stay in touch with staff, and this trend may continue into the foreseeable future. However, for those new to the medium, there may be many questions. Meeting participants are hoping onto calls from their living rooms, kitchens and home offices, and their current workspace looks very different. And although participants are working from home, they are asked to attend meetings through webcam. As such, the attire during company meetings continues to reflect the employer. With so many changes to the standard meeting, how do you know what to avoid or to be mindful of?

Begin by setting your attention to your attire. When in doubt, think about what you would wear to an office meeting or conference. If your daily attire at your office is on the casual side, you may continue to wear more casual clothing. However, if your office is a bit more formal, you may want to wear business attire such as collared polos, button-up shirts and blouses.

Next, focus on the location you have chosen for the meeting. If at home, be sure that you are not sitting somewhere that is full of distractions to your teammates, such as a messy bedroom or a room with a lot of wall décor. In addition, be sure that wherever you choose to attend the virtual meeting, keeps the noise level at a minimum. If you have noisy neighbors or there is construction occurring outside of your dwelling, be sure to mute the video when you are not speaking. This will also limit distractions for your team.

Lastly, be sure to not multitask and get distracted during your meeting. As everyone can see your facial expressions on camera, they are sure to notice if your mind is elsewhere. Instead, be sure your attention is on the matter at hand. This will keep you focused and reduce your inclination to check emails or complete other tasks. During the virtual meeting, be sure that you are staying on task and following the agenda.

Have you and your team found other ways to make virtual meetings successful? Please let us know.